RASD participates in the 15th Africa Upstream Conference on Oil and Gas

A Saharawi delegation composed of Emhamed Khadad, member of the National Secretariat and coordinator with MINURSO and Fadel Kamal, Saharawi Representative in Australia, is participating in the 15th Africa Upstream Conference on Oil and Gas since Monday 6th October 2008 in Cape Town, South Africa. On Tuesday 7th October Fadel Kamal delivered a talk to the conference on the background and history of Western Sahara as well as the history of oil and gas exploration from the Spanish period until now. Mr. Kamal underlined the steps the SADR has been undertaking to prepare for its future. He emphasised the agreements the SADR had signed with various oil companies and the successful licensing round that it announced in 2005 which culminated in the signing of 9 contracts with 8 oil companies. He also informed the audience about the current licensing round that the Saharawi republic launched in 2008. The Saharawi republic is also present with an important exhibition that highlights its potential in the oil and gas area as well as information on the country and its history. The 15th Africa Upstream (Africa Oil Week) is taking place on 6-10th October 2008 in Cape Town. The conference is recognised as the premier international event on Africa and has become an important networking and business platform for the oil & gas industry. The 15th Africa Upstream has been the landmark occasion in/on Africa’s oil and gas industry worldwide for 15 years. This year the conference is attended by around 550 delegates from around Africa, Asia, Latin America, Middle East, the USA, Australasia, Europe, Russia including 70 leading Speakers and Keynote Presentations by ministers, officials and company CEOs. There are 45 exhibition stands, including many African States and key companies. The 15th Annual Africa Oil Week 2008 is the world’s largest and most significant exploration and development event on Africa for the global oil exploration and gas-LNG industry Calendar, with key African Government decision-makers, State and National Oil Company delegations, with senior oil executives drawn from across the African oil and gas value chain.